Festival International de Jazz de Montreal

May 7th, 2007 With Bob Dylan, Manu Chao, Keith Jarrett, Mike Stern, Zachary Richard, Francis Cabrel, Wynton Marsalis, Richard Bona, Harry Connick Jr., Oliver Jones, Angelique Kidjo and many more.

The City of Festivals is more enthusiastic than ever for the music to start and with its 28th edition, the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal delivers an embarrassment of riches! The world's largest musical event, presented by General Motors of Canada in collaboration with Alcan, proudly offers an indoor program in the very image of Montreal cultural and multicultural metropolis par excellence. From June 28 to July 8, 2007, North America's francophone capital beats at the heart of the music world, welcoming the greatest names in jazz and its musical cousins, revealing best-kept secrets and hosting a massive urban celebration unique to this city. Over 11 days and nights, Montreal rolls out the red carpet for over 2,500 musicians from every corner of the globe. From jazz to soul to blues, with detours through traditional music, electro and folk, Montreal conjugates in every style, speaking the universal language: music!

The Festival's indoor concert program alone offers close to 150 shows spread over 15 series, presented in the city's finest venues.As eclectic as ever, this edition of the Festival presents musicians and music from every region and every source, from the classic to the most avant-garde. As always, the Festival will be the only North American stop for a whole raft of artists including Skye, Erik Truffaz, Anne Ducros, and Coco Zhao. And let us not forget the legends and the marquee names: Keith Jarrett, Bob Dylan, Harry Connick, Jr. and Wynton Marsalis, with his very special project Congo Square or the music of the immortal Ennio Morricone, reanimated by the stunning The Spaghetti Western Orchestra, all of whom contribute to the magic of this 28th edition.

Consider, for instance, the presence of artists from the prestigious ECM label including Keith Jarrett, Anouar Brahem, Tord Gustavsen, Nik Bartsch's Ronin, and Stefano Bollani, who in themselves represent the entire diverse range of today's music. The Festival is furthermore thrilled to welcome Manfred Eicher, founder and president of the jazz label considered one of the most important in the world.

To mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Fela Kuti, Afrobeat will be everywhere: indoors, where his son Femi Kuti upholds the legacy, along with Afrodizz and Antibalas, as well as in shows featured in the free outdoor schedule (coming June 5).

The Festival will also be presenting an exceptional double feature, where culture and music are once again at the core of a superb collaboration: Louisianan Zachary Richard and French artist Francis Cabrel, both equally adopted and adored! - by Quebec for years, will be sharing the spotlight at Salle Wilfred-Pelletier! This collaboration is the undisputable result of an artistic alliance-turned friendship between the pair. After Katrina, Francis was first invited by Zac to collaborate on his latest album for the song "La promesse cassee", of which the royalties helped raise funds for musicians from New Orleans. The two artists also recently performed together in New Orleans and Lafayette. For the Festival, the beloved French artist will draw from his affinity for blues and American music in order to create a unique repertoire for the occasion. You can bet your bottom dollar that the chemistry that evening will be palpable and that both artists will surely pay each other musical visits!

And don't forget this Big Bang - the mega-concert set to shake ile Sainte-Helene on Sunday, July 1: Manu Chao with Radio Bemba Sound System and guests (in collaboration with Gillett Entertainment Group) at Parc Jean-Drapeau! Get ready for a fiesta stage-managed by none other than the Clandestino, back in Montreal for the first time in six years! If there were a roof, the wildly versatile former Mano Negra singer would blow it off with his polyglot fusion of latin, rock, reggae and blues rhythms a show that's certain to enter Montreal concert history!

Speaking of prestige, the Invitation series embodies that quality to perfection, presenting musical carte blanche to this year's honoured guests Richard Bona and Mike Stern, who will each present five completely different shows! Including the Cine-Jazz series at Cinematheque quebecoise (at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.), the Festival offers 15 indoor concert series, revealing the full spectrum of jazz in all its vivid individual colours. In short, from the purest jazz to the most colourful hybrid, from the archetypal to the original, this Festival gathers and presents the greatest living names in jazz!


info: www.montrealjazzfest.com